Can anyone out there please estimate for us what percentage of a college's
costs are due to acquisitions of videos & DVDs?
Does it break 1/10th of 1%?
Does it break 1/10th of 1% of the budget for just the libraries?
Inflation is a fact of life, generally, (ie my rent goes up, UPS and Fed Ex
go up every year, the employees here at FRIF generally get raises every
year, our health insurance premiums, well, you know about health insurance
premiums, etc) and that is why college tuitions go up. (Tho it doesn't
explain why they have been going up faster than inflation) - but I can tell
you to the extent that media plays ANY role in that (and I bet not!) it is
because you all are buying MORE MEDIA because your faculty and students are
finding media MORE USEFUL, and NOT because distributors are raising their
prices.
JM

So my conclusion is that if higher ed is going to rely more heavily on the
use of media, then the price should probably go up.

I couldn't help but wonder the reaction that would provoke. If an academic
library's budget has to increase to provide necessary resources to
supplement the course work, that increase could eventually be reflected in a
tuition increase. Not only could this result in a prospective student's
inability to attend the college of choice, but what if someone who is
self-employed has to increase the cost of his/her product/service in order
to pay for a child's tuition bill. We, my co-worker and I, believe this to
be a prime example of how the domino effect works. We see it every day in
the economy.

>From the distributor's point of view -- at least one distributor's -- my
point of comparison is always with textbooks.

Distributors have always said that if professors assigned videos the way
they assign textbooks, then the price of course would drop dramatically,
even though the production costs of most documentaires are (I suspect) far
greater than producing textbooks.

Now that video is finally being seen in most quarters in this country as an
essential part of higher education I think it's unfair to characterize our
prices as exorbitant. In most cases the amount of royalties that
distributors are able to return to producers when compared to production
costs is pathetic.

Don't producers get income from other sources that are not open to textbook
authors? Sometimes, but I think you all know how notoriously hard it is to
sell a program to television, and the exceptions go to prove the rule.

Dennis has eloquently explained that you don't go into distribution for the
money.

So my conclusion is that if higher ed is going to rely more heavily on the
use of media, then the price should probably go up.

FYI, the grid I'm creating is more informational than anything else. The
grid will not contain every imaginable detail, but rather it's a stepping
stone for you to use as you see fit.

Most companies require that you also purchase the physical copy along with
digital licensing rights. As librarians, we have a lot of power to try and
change how distributors license their rights, but that's another
discussion...well, I can't resist...

I know colleges, universities, and corporations bear the brunt of paying
exorbitant fees for videos/DVDs. But, what bothers me most is that I have to
pay $290 for the physical copy, and then I'm being asked to pay an
additional $200 to digitize the film every one to three years. That's
highway robbery. But, like the good librarian I am, I'm going to keep my
faculty and students happy. I do hope that many distributors will re-think
their digital policies. I know businesses have to make a profit, but it
still stinks. On the other hand, there are a few decent distributors who
are not trying to squeeze every possible dollar they can from
colleges/universities, and I commend them for doing so.

Again, I strongly encourage anyone who decides to offer streaming to their
patrons to contact the company in question for all possible options.

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Does it break 1/10<sup>th</sup> of =
1% of
the budget for just the libraries? <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Inflation is a fact of life, =
generally, (<span
class=3DSpellE>ie</span> my rent goes up, UPS and Fed Ex go up every =
year, the
employees here at FRIF generally get raises every year, our health =
insurance
premiums, well, you know about health insurance premiums, etc) and that =
is why
college tuitions go up. (<span class=3DSpellE>Tho</span> it =
doesn&#8217;t explain
why they have been going up faster than inflation) &#8211; <span =
class=3DGramE>but</span>
I can tell you to the extent that media plays ANY role in that (and I =
bet not!)
it is because you all are buying MORE MEDIA because your faculty and =
students
are finding media MORE USEFUL, and NOT because distributors are raising =
their
prices. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font =
size=3D2
color=3Dblue face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:blue'>I couldn't help but wonder the reaction that would =
provoke.&nbsp;
If an academic library's budget has to increase to provide necessary =
resources
to supplement the course work, that increase&nbsp;could eventually be =
reflected
in a tuition increase.&nbsp; Not only could this result in a prospective
student's inability to attend the college of choice,&nbsp;but what if =
someone
who is self-employed has to increase the cost of his/her product/service =
in
order to pay for a child's tuition bill.&nbsp; We, my co-worker and I, =
believe
this to be a prime example of how the domino effect works.&nbsp; We see =
it
every day in the economy.</span></font><font size=3D2 =
face=3DTahoma><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'><o:p></o:p></span></font></=
p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font =
size=3D2
color=3Dblue face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:blue'>Distributors have always said that if professors assigned =
videos
the way they assign textbooks, then the price of course would drop
dramatically, even though the production costs of most documentaires are =
(I
suspect) far greater than producing textbooks.</span></font><font =
size=3D2
color=3Dblack face=3DTahoma><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font =
size=3D2
color=3Dblue face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:blue'>Now that video is finally being seen in most quarters in =
this
country as an essential part of higher education I think it's unfair to
characterize our prices as exorbitant.&nbsp; In most cases the amount of
royalties that distributors are able to return to producers when =
compared to
production costs is pathetic.</span></font><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack
face=3DTahoma><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black'><o:p></o:p></sp=
an></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font =
size=3D2
color=3Dblue face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:blue'>Don't producers get income from other sources that are not =
open to
textbook authors?&nbsp; Sometimes, but I think you all know how =
notoriously
hard it is to sell a program to television, and the exceptions go to =
prove the
rule.</span></font><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3DTahoma><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font =
size=3D2
color=3Dblue face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:blue'>I know colleges,&nbsp;universities, and corporations bear =
the brunt
of paying exorbitant fees for videos/DVDs.&nbsp;But, what bothers me =
most is
that I have to pay&nbsp;$290 for the physical copy, and then I'm being =
asked to
pay an additional&nbsp;$200 to digitize the film every one to&nbsp;three
years.&nbsp; That's highway robbery.&nbsp; But,&nbsp;like the good =
librarian I
am, I'm going to keep my faculty and students happy.&nbsp; I do hope =
that many
distributors will re-think their digital policies.&nbsp;I know =
businesses have
to make a profit, but it still stinks.&nbsp; On the other hand, there
are&nbsp;a few decent distributors who are not trying to =
squeeze&nbsp;every
possible dollar they can from colleges/universities, and I&nbsp;commend =
them
for doing so.&nbsp; </span></font><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack =
face=3DTahoma><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black'><o:p></o:p></sp=
an></font></p>